Stabiliser Assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to an assembly to improve the stability of a user of the assembly, the assembly comprising: a brace for connecting to a lower leg portion, the brace comprising a stabiliser connecting portion; and a stabiliser for connecting to a shoe, the stabiliser comprising a brace connecting portion and an extension portion having a shoe connection portion configured in use to connect the extension portion to the shoe so that the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only a lateral side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser, wherein the brace and the stabiliser are couplable together by the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion so that, when said lower leg portion is connected to the brace and said shoe is connected to the stabiliser, an outward lean of said lower leg portion with respect to said shoe is limited to a predetermined angle, thereby providing a stabilising force to improve the stability of a user of the assembly, and wherein the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion are uncoupled during normal locomotion of a wearer of the assembly, thereby providing unimpeded movement for normal locomotion.

1 . An assembly to improve the stability of a user of the assembly, the assembly comprising:
 a brace for connecting to a lower leg portion, the brace comprising a stabiliser connecting portion; and   a stabiliser for connecting to a shoe, the stabiliser comprising a brace connecting portion and an extension portion having a shoe connection portion configured in use to connect the extension portion to the shoe so that the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only a lateral side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser,   wherein the brace and the stabiliser are couplable together by the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion so that, when said lower leg portion is connected to the brace and said shoe is connected to the stabiliser, an outward lean of said lower leg portion with respect to said shoe is limited to a predetermined angle, thereby providing a stabilising force to improve the stability of a user of the assembly, and wherein the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion are uncoupled during normal locomotion of a wearer of the assembly, thereby providing unimpeded movement for normal locomotion.   
     
     
         2 . The stabiliser of  claim 1 , wherein the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion comprise: a hook and a loop for receiving the hook; a flexible wire; a strap; a blocking cylinder; or a piston. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that in use it extends laterally from only a portion of the length of the shoe sole at the lateral side. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that in use it extends laterally from only a middle portion and a rear portion of the length of the shoe sole at the lateral side. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that in use it does not extend laterally from a portion of the length of the shoe sole at the lateral side which is in-between the middle portion and the rear portion. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that in use it extends laterally from the full length of the shoe sole at the lateral side. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the extension portion is configured such that in use it extends laterally from the shoe by about 2 cm to about 10 cm, and preferably by about 7 cm. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of any of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the shoe connection portion comprises a shoe plate coupled to the extension portion, the shoe plate having an attachment element and being configured in use to connect to the shoe sole via the attachment element so that the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only the lateral side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the shoe plate is configured such that, when connected in use to the shoe sole, the shoe plate extends over only a portion of the shoe sole which is rearward of a metatarso-phalangeal joint region of the shoe, to facilitate normal locomotion by a wearer of the shoe. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the shoe plate is configured such that, when connected in use to the shoe sole, the shoe plate extends over only a rear portion and a middle portion of the shoe sole. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the shoe plate is configured such that, when connected in use to the shoe sole, the shoe plate extends over only a middle portion of the shoe sole. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of any of  claims 7  to  10 , wherein the shoe plate comprises a first rigid beam extending substantially normally from a lateral edge of the shoe plate and configured in use to abut a lateral side of the shoe, and a second rigid beam extending substantially normally from a medial edge of the shoe plate and configured in use to abut a medial side of the shoe, so that a portion of the shoe is received in-between the first and second rigid beams. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 10  or  11 , wherein at least one rigid beam is formed integrally with the shoe plate. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of any of  claims 7  to  12 , wherein the shoe plate comprises a recess arranged to receive a portion of the shoe. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of any of  claims 7  to  13 , wherein the attachment element comprises at least one strap for connecting the shoe plate to the shoe sole by clamping. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of any of  claims 7  to  14 , wherein the extension portion is formed integrally with the shoe plate. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of any of  claims 1  to  6 , further comprising a second extension portion coupled to the shoe connecting portion such that in use the second extension portion extends medially from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only a medial side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the second extension portion is configured such that in use it extends medially over only a middle portion of the length of the shoe sole at the medial side. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 16  or  17 , wherein the second extension portion is configured such that in use it extends medially from the shoe by about 0.5 cm to about 1.5 cm, and preferably by about 1.0 cm, to avoid impeding normal locomotion of a wearer of the stabiliser. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of any of  claims 7  to  15 , wherein the shoe plate further comprises a second extension portion coupled to a medial side of the shoe plate so that, when the shoe plate is connected in use to the shoe sole, the second extension portion extends medially from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only a medial side. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the second extension portion is formed integrally with the shoe plate. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of any of  claims 1  to  15 , wherein the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe so that the stabilizer increases the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only the lateral side. 
     
     
         23 . The assembly of any of  claims 16  to  20 , wherein the extension portion and the second extension portion extend laterally and medially, respectively, from the shoe so that the stabilizer increases the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only the lateral side and the medial side. 
     
     
         24 . The assembly of  claim 1 , the stabiliser comprising an extension portion having a shoe connection portion configured in use to connect the extension portion to the shoe so that the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only a lateral side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser;
 wherein the extension portion is configured such that in use it extends laterally from only a middle portion and a rear portion of the length of the shoe sole at the lateral side;   wherein the shoe connection portion comprises a shoe plate coupled to the extension portion, the shoe plate having an attachment element and being configured in use to connect to the shoe sole via the attachment element so that the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only the lateral side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser;   wherein the shoe plate is configured such that, when connected in use to the shoe sole, the shoe plate extends over only a portion of the shoe sole which is rearward of a metatarso-phalangeal joint region of the shoe, to facilitate normal locomotion by a wearer of the shoe.   
     
     
         25 . The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion comprise a hook and a loop for receiving the hook. 
     
     
         26 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein, when said lower leg portion is connected to the brace and said shoe is connected to the stabiliser, an outward lean of less than the predetermined angle causes the hook to move freely with respect to the loop, thereby permitting normal locomotion of a wearer of the assembly. 
     
     
         27 . The assembly of  claim 25  or  26 , wherein, when said lower leg portion is connected to the brace and said shoe is connected to the stabiliser, an outward lean of the predetermined angle causes the hook to hook onto the loop thereby limiting the outward lean to the predetermined angle. 
     
     
         28 . The assembly of any of  claims 25  to  27 , wherein the brace comprises a medial rigid panel for supporting a medial side of said lower leg portion, the medial rigid panel having at least one strap for connecting the medial rigid panel to the medial side of said lower leg portion, and wherein the hook extends from an end of the medial rigid panel which, in use, is adjacent to a foot-end portion of said lower leg portion. 
     
     
         29 . The assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the brace further comprises a lateral rigid panel for supporting a lateral side of said lower leg portion, the lateral rigid panel being coupled to the at least one strap, and the at least one strap being further configured in use to connect the lateral rigid panel to the lateral side of said lower leg portion. 
     
     
         30 . The assembly of  claim 28  or  29 , wherein the at least one strap comprises a first strap configured in use to connect the brace to a foot-end portion of said lower leg portion and a second strap configured in use to connect the brace to a knee-end portion of said lower leg portion. 
     
     
         31 . The assembly of any of  claims 28  to  30 , wherein the or each strap comprises a connector to facilitate connection of the strap around said lower leg portion. 
     
     
         32 . The assembly of any of  claims 25  to  31 , wherein the loop comprises an n-shaped bar having both distal ends connected to a medial edge portion of the shoe plate, the loop being configured such that in use it extends from the shoe plate along the medial side of the shoe and towards the brace. 
     
     
         33 . The assembly of  claim 32 , wherein the loop extends from a middle portion of the shoe plate. 
     
     
         34 . The assembly of  claim 32  or  33 , wherein the loop is truncated and has a diameter in one direction of about 8 cm and a diameter in an orthogonal direction of about 4 cm. 
     
     
         35 . The assembly of  claim 1  comprising:
 a brace for connecting to a lower leg portion, the brace comprising a medial rigid panel for supporting a medial side of said lower leg portion, the medial rigid panel having at least one strap for connecting the medial rigid panel to the medial side of said lower leg portion, the brace further comprising a stabiliser connecting portion; and 
 a stabiliser for connecting to a shoe, the stabiliser comprising a brace connecting portion and an extension portion having a shoe connection portion configured in use to connect the extension portion to the shoe so that the extension portion extends laterally from the shoe to increase the effective surface area of the shoe sole at only a lateral side and to improve the stability of a user of the stabiliser 
 wherein the brace and the stabiliser are couplable together by the stabiliser connecting portion and the brace connecting portion so that, when said lower leg portion is connected to the brace and said shoe is connected to the stabiliser, an outward lean of said lower leg portion with respect to said shoe is limited to a predetermined angle, thereby providing a stabilising force to improve the stability of a user of the assembly; wherein the stabiliser connecting portion comprises a hook and the brace connecting portion comprises a loop for receiving the hook, the hook extending from an end of the medial rigid panel of the brace which, in use, is adjacent to a foot-end portion of said lower leg portion, the loop comprising an n-shaped bar having both distal ends connected to a medial edge portion of the shoe plate, the loop being configured such that in use it extends from the shoe plate along the medial side of the shoe and towards the brace; wherein, when said lower leg portion is connected to the brace and said shoe is connected to the stabiliser, an outward lean of less than the predetermined angle causes the hook to move freely with respect to the loop, thereby permitting normal locomotion of a wearer of the assembly, and an outward lean of the predetermined angle causes the hook to hook onto the loop thereby limiting the outward lean to the predetermined angle. 
 
     
     
         36 . An item of footwear comprising the assembly as claimed in any of  claims 1  to  35 .